Simpson’s In The Strand

I first went here 20 years ago on my first trip to London, and went back because I loved it then. I was not disappointed this time. My wife had her favorite dish in the whole world, beef wellington, and said it was the best she has ever had, and I had to have the carved roast beef, so good! Old classic and cool!

I was given a very thoughtful gift from my parents of a carving course at Simpson’s, which was a morning of teaching followed by carving roast for your guests at Sunday lunch. My dad did the course about 15 years ago and loved it so it was a really sweet gesture.
Unfortunately, things have changed in 15 years. When I was having lunch after, my dad wanted to go over techniques and tricks and it turned out I’d learned barely anything — it has obviously been simplified a lot, and even as I was being taught I was surprised at the lack of detail and even though I don’t consider myself to be at all skilled, it did seem like the lesson could have been summed up in 10 minutes. I thought maybe this was just how things are in carving but the fact that my dad was able to talk much more about different appropriate knives and the grain of the meat showed me that I had had a much less rigorous experience. This could also be because there were about 20 – 25 people at my lesson, whereas my dad was with 8. The cynic in me thinks this has just become a bit of a money spinner.
To be honest, though, I would probably have settled for this and been happy enough with a pleasant morning of meat, were it not for two other factors.
Firstly, I could neither believe nor stand the casual and continual sexism coming from the so-​called master cook. The class was very imbalanced, with only 3 women, and I suspect this is often the case, but we might as well not have been there. The cook addressed us as if we were all men and kept up incessant patter that started off in the world of tired mother-​in-​law jokes but soon strayed into the more generalised and offensive commentary about how women are bad at cooking (even though the kitchen is our domain) and the suggestions that we are mainly around for the cleaning and the drudge work. It was abhorrent. He would look right through me as he chummily referred to how our wives always overcook meat and nag us to do things too quickly. I felt like I was about a century earlier — which may not be the traditional flavour a top end restaurant should aspire to. Seriously, it made me very uncomfortable and put me on edge, which considering that it’s a fairly luxury activity, should never have been allowed to happen.
Secondly, it was just poorly organised. This was apparent in the run up, where at different points I had both the wrong date and the wrong number of guests confirmed. But it was also clear on the day. At one point, people were asked to order drinks — which they did, and then were immediately given a complimentary glass of wine, followed by the wine they had just ordered. And frustratingly for me, the class finished at 12:30, while my lunch seating was at 13:45. Now, I understand not everyone can be seated at once, but why wasn’t it clear in the details that it would finish earlier? My guests were only arriving for lunch, whereas had I known I would have invited them earlier for a pre-​meal drink. Thus I was left along to awkwardly hover and wait for an hour.
Obviously, for most of you, you’re really only interested in the review of the meal. It’s a bit mixed. The meat was certainly delicious (beef or lamb are the best); everything else I had was a bit meh. But the service was truly appalling. We were overcrowded by far too many waiters, but none of them seemed to have been doing the job for more than a few hours. We kept being asked things we had already been asked, we had people lean over us to pass plates along, and there was a particularly odd moment when a man insisted that he was giving my boyfriend his treacle sponge when he was really passing him my chocolate mousse — he evidently didn’t know what either looked like.
Oh, and my dad was continually addressed as if he was the carver (I mean, he’s the man, right, so that makes sense), so we kept having to awkwardly correct them.
To finish with, I was presented with a certificate — which I had to point out had a smear of gravy on it.
Low, low level of customer service that is particularly infuriating at an establishment that regards itself so highly. Go anywhere else.

If you are looking for true traditional British fare this is your place. They are famous for their table carved beef and lamb. We both chose the beef which came with cooked spinach, roasted potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. All were done well but in typical English fashion done without and «flair».
The atmosphere was out of a time machine. The pianist played every cliché song imaginable and the décor was 1950 something. I’m not saying it was bad it was just… predictable.

Marvellous traditional British restaurant in the heart of London. We enjoyed the meal, service and atmosphere.

Walking in, I was amazed at the beautiful interior, the coffered ceilings, the chandeliers and the wonderful pianist playing in the dining room. Loved the ambience. I felt like I was instantly transported back in time. Service was impeccable and the staff was very polite. I ordered the steamed sea bass w/​braised leeks, carrot, fennel, and lemon butter sauce and being that we were in London, my boyfriend had to order the beef wellington w/​roast salsify. Our waiter informed us that it would take approx. 25 mins to cook our food, but since we weren’t starving, we didn’t order appetizers to start. There was, of course, bread at the table, but it was very nice of them to bring us an amuse-​bouche; a small cup of mushroom soup. It was very tasty and delicious! My steamed sea bass was done very well and had enough flavor that I feel the lemon butter sauce wasn’t even needed. The beef wellington was also very good, but not quite the best we have had. The puff pastry was crisp, light and flaky however (as it should be). Our favorite will still be from One if by Land, Two if by Sea in NYC.

Very cool old school British atmosphere. We were the only customers under 60 in the entire place. The carved beef was good as was the horseradish but nothing fantastic. The service was very slow and they weren’t busy. It took 30 minutes just to get a drink. Not very impressive — don’t waste your time or money.

A beautifully elegant British dining experience. This is how I imagine old world posh London was.
We went as the finale of our own Sherlock Holmes walking tour (Sherlock’s favourite restaurant don’t you know?) and it was a lovely way to end the day.
We were slightly early for our table so we treated ourselves to cocktails in the bar. It’s not cheap at £12.50 per cocktail but they were delicious.
The bar was pretty empty though so lacked atmosphere.
The restaurant is beautiful and we were treated so kindly by all who served us, without it being pompous.
We had gorgeous fish starters; me baked crab which was divine and my date smoked salmon which he said was delicious.
We then opted for the signature of the restaurant, the roast beef.
It’s carved by your table on a huge silver tray, and you can opt for how you’d like your meat still.
The portion size was good, the beef accompanied by a huge Yorkshire pudding, a dollop of very tasty horseradish (and I’ve never liked horseradish before!), roast potatoes and Savoy cabbage.
The beef was tender and flavour some.
Whilst we ate we listened to the delightful piano playing and people watched as the restaurant filled with an array of diners.
It was a very enjoyable experience to eat at such a British institution of a restaurant and have such yummy food.
It’s certainly not cheap, but it’s worth it for a special occasion.
Sherlock Holmes definitely had good taste!

This is one of the quintessential old english eateries, founded in 1828 and located on the Strand adjacent to the famous Savoy hotel. Charles Dickens and Vincent Van Gogh (not a typo) sampled fare here historically. It is the second oldest continuous operating restaurant in London («Rules» being the oldest). Food is served in a classic wood dining room lit by majestic chandeliers, with somewhat annoying piano music being played. Numerous waiters and carvers whisk silver metal domed trolleys full of roast legs of lamb and rib roasts for table side carvery. Truly a roll back on how the aristrocratic elite dined 100 years ago. (Ironically, i was dressed in a sports coat and collared shirt and was amply dressed up). The ambiance was thoroughly enjoyable. This aspect of the restaurant is why you go to eat at Simpson In the Strand, as the food was good, but nothing spectacular, especially for the price.
Before we were seated for our 6:30 pm reservation, we had drinks up at the Simpson tavern first (upstairs) after the maitre’d was kind enough to ask if we preferred to start our meal with a drink, which we did. Four of us, each ordered an unmemorable drink for about £8 ($ 12 USD), prior to dinner. The seating was comfortable and intimate.
For starters (appetizer), I sampled the roast wood pigeon breast with bacon. The meat was cooked a little rare for my liking and even at that it was a bit tough. It consisted of about 3 small bites. Two in our party had the fish cake with chive butter sauce, which was delightful. The other starter a rabbit and crayfish tart was nicely presented in between 2 pastries, but was devoid of shrimp and the flavors didn’t seem to mix. We ordered a bottle of NZ white semillon (£42/​$ 65USD) with our meal.
For main course, I ordered the whole dover sole (£35/​$ 54 USD), which was grilled in lemon butter. The sole was fresh and cooked to perfection. It was of ample size and the skin was removed. Anyone who likes fish and has never had whole dover sole, you must try it.
One of us ordered the roast ribeye (prime rib) accompanied with a yorkshire pudding, roast potatos and savoy cabbage. The meat was sliced table side thinly, not akin to American prime rib, which is served as a tender thick sliced ribeye… this was a bit disappointing, but the portion was adequate, with the starters ordered. The beef wellington was superb served a nice medium, but the fourth meal we ordered, a pan roasted leg of partridge, was disappointing. The partridge was tough. We also ordered shared sides of honey roasted parsnips, cauliflower cheese with bacon, the seasonal greens chile style (broccolini), along with an order of mash potatos. All sides were superb and nicely presented in copper ramekins.
For dessert and apertifs, we ordered a cheese plate, 2 person pudding sampler, one house port, and one glass of house red wine. All were unimpressive. We finished our meal with coffees and a pot of tea. Dinner for four with 1 bottle of wine was £380 or about $ 580 USD.
The ambience at Simpson’s is superb and the service attentive, but the food unimpressive. Go there for the historical experience.

I read that Charles Darwin and Benjamin Disreali enjoyed frequenting Simpsons in their day. The meal is traditional British and not much has changed since the mid 19^th century. The establishment sticks to its British roots with the focus on the 28 day aged scottish beef roast. A chef wheels out a huge rib roast on a cart and carves you slices right then and there. Paired with yorkshire pudding, savoy cabbage and roasted potatoes it is the most classic meal in London. The rest of the «bill of fare» is decked out with a dose of Beef Wellington, venison, roasted leg of partridge, liver and dover sole.
If you like english roasts or want to pretend you are a 19^th century gentleman, definitely stop by Simpsons. Go to the American Bar in the Savoy for a nightcap.

It was a good traditional British dining experience. The atmosphere was really nice and so was the food. This restaurant is well known for its roasted beef and it was delicious, I recommend it.

A beautiful and classic British restaurant located just opposite of the famous Savoy theatre — perfect for a pre theatre dinner. The place holds a great deal of history as it was originally opened in 1828 as a chess club and coffee house.
The service was impeccable and the dining room is very charming. We all ordered one of the signature dishes «Roast rib of Scottish beef (aged 28 days)» with Roast potatoes, Savoy cabbage, Yorkshire pudding & horseradish. We were very pleased with the taste, but even better was that they roll the huge piece of beef out in a trolly and make a show of the carving process. I very much enjoyed that and the food was very good too, especially the horseradish.
I gladly recommend!

Das Simpsons ist ein sehr traditionelles Restaurant. Das sieht man eindrücklich wenn man es betritt. Früher diente es dem Schach spiel und irgendwie hat sich dann auch die Spezialität des Hauses etabliert: carved Meat.
Wer dies bestellt, wird von einem zertifierten «mear carver» bedient. Dabei wird ein Wagen mit Fleisch an den Tisch gefahren und je nachdem wie gegart man das Fleisch haben möchte wird es von einem Stück des Fleisches vor den Augen des Gastes mit dem Messer abgeschnitten.
Das Essen hat gut geschmeckt war in meinen Augen aber nichts spezielles. Eine weitere Spezialität des Hauses, der Yorkshire pudding (fluffiges Brot) war jetzt auch nicht gerade weltbewegend.
Dafür ist die Atmosphäre wirklich toll, das live piano passt da bestens ins Bild. Aufgrund der historie des lokals ist es aber leider auch ein bisschen touristisch.

Everything was perfect, from the oysters on ice to start to the piano being played in the corner. To the sommeliers personal recommendations. Just pure old school quality English establishment is how I class the eatery. Would recommend it to anyone.

Food was great, service was attentive and the atmosphere was superb ! Truly elegant British dining experience. Start with a drink in the bar upstairs. You will have a enjoyable evening.

Classic British food done well with above average service.
The atmosphere is traditionally English and the staff are very well trained and mannered.
The food was good, the roast beef was excellent, as was the lamb. If you even moderately like roast beef, you should give Simpson’s In The Strand a try and see how roast beef tastes when done correctly.
Certainly not the best dining experience I’ve ever had and definitely not a notable one; however, it was pleasant and above average.

It was our last night together in London and my fiancé wanted to get me beef wellington on Sunday around 7pm. Not an easy task since most places close early. I was hesitant to go here because I felt I was not dressed but since it was raining and cold, everyone was wearing jeans and a sweater.
It was so interesting to see a lot of people get the roast. It certainly is a sight to behold the chef carving it before you. I had the beef wellington and it was absolutely remarkable from the flaky outside to the demi glacé sauce. If I weren’t in the presence of others, I would have licked my plate. The portion was on par with having had an appetizer.
We also had the scallop appetizer because the welly would take 35 min. I’m not sure what the sauce was, maybe beurre blanc. The scallop was lightly fried. I’m sure there were loads of butter in it but it tasted absolutely divine!
We skipped dessert since I couldn’t keep my eyes open from so much touring. The ambience was romantic and elegant. I really would have loved to come here in something better than jeans, sweater and sneakers but c’est la vie.
This isn’t the kind of thing we’d have daily since it tastes too rich with all the butter but it is fabulous to have once a week or so. I’d love to come here several times on our next visit.

Traditional English steakhouse, one of the oldest in London.

A classic London dining establishment that is not cheap, but well worth experiencing. They say its between the (roast) beef and lamb, which I completely agree with.
Straying from what they do best always runs a small risk on quality, but sticking with the standards is likely not going to disappoint. I’ve been at least 3 or 4 times over the years & the service has always been excellent… so I’m a little skeptical of the knocks on that in other reviews.

I was waiting for Consuelo Vanderbilt or the Duke of Westminster to come in when we ate here one Sunday for a traditional roast.
Simpson’s reminds one of a nineteenth-​century gentlemen’s club or the dining-​room of a stately home when Britannia ruled the waves and the sun never set on the British Empire, when the P & O brought military personnel and civil servants back from the Colonies and the Raj was the brightest jewel in the crown.
All that aside, it’s one of those places that you visit once to experience British «charm,» which I believe doesn’t exist outside of a Henry James or Evelyn Waugh novel, but I digress.
The staff treat you like visiting royalty, from the person taking your coat, to the maitre ‘d, to the wine steward, to the person pouring your water — there’s about six people waiting on you. First class service: what you expect from anything solidly British.
We opted for the traditional Sunday roast, wheeled about on silver-​domed trolleys, and started off with a lobster soup. The Sunday roast was served medium rare with horse-​radish, Savoy cabbage (of course) and Yorkshire puddings. Everything was impressive and delicious.
No one was dressed to the nines, but no one looked like slobs, either, so dress appropriately and at least look the part.

If you are going to go for tradition, this is the place to go.
I went to this place as it is a very historical and popular place. Be warned, that the English fare these days in UK and in pubs are great, ever since the breweries took over contol of the pubs. The pub owners had to open up the restaurant parts of their pubs to generate more income and profit.
1. Ambiance — Traditional English. You have to go to this place to be part of the tradition.
2. Service — I found it to be a bit old fashion, but certainly very professional. I believe traditional is more the word.
3. Food — I order the roast rib of beef with all the trimmings and yorkshire pudding. I loved everything, except for the fact that I could not get the rib cooked the temperature that I wanted it. I like it medium rare to rare and the waiter advised me that they were serving it medium.
I will go back because I love British food, I want to try their steak and kidney pie, braised lamb shank. and I am excited to try their Oxtail Faggot as a starter. I know, it sound different, if you are not from the UK.
GK says, ya gotta go to check this place out for sure.

So incredibly impressed I am with Simpsons in the Strand.
A lovely group of 9 of my friends and I dined at Simpons in the Strand to celebrate a very special birthday last night, and I have not yet stopped thinking about our exquisite meal and exciting and stimulating conversations. It was one of the most amazing dinners I have ever attended, and a large amount of credit is due to Simpons’ for this.
Walking in, you automatically feel first-​class as someone takes your name and another immediately grabs your coat. You watch as other extremely posh people walk in, and you just can’t stop admiring them. Simpons’ boasts an older crowd with the majority of people aged 50++, most decked in fur coats and dripping in jewels and diamonds. You start to wonder if you are in the right place as you check your outfit and the birth date on your I.D.
Once you realize that although you don’t exactly fit in, you also realize that you damn well deserve to be there because you are so fabulous in your own right. You strut to the table, sit down on the chair held out for you, and say thank you to the server for placing the napkin on your lap, pouring your water, and placing bread and butter on the table before you can even set your purse down.
As we all embraced the comfort of our circle of friends and fill each other in on the latest scoop, we load up on butter and bread… but mainly butter. they start us off with a small cup of creamy soup and then the food comes out, altogether, which makes all the difference to me. I look down at my plate, and I immediately get aroused. I look to my right, left, and across the table and realize that everyone’s dish looks outstanding. We begin to eat, rave about our food, and proceed to pass small bites of our own dishes across the table for everyone to taste. Combined, our table ordered the stuffed pork tenderloin, the roast beef, the lamb, and the beef wellington. Everything — I mean everything — was extremely moist and flavorful.
Although everything was noteworthy, there were some dishes better than the rest. I’m not a wishy-​washy person and I can always choose something over another, which is why I’ll tell you now which dishes you cannot leave without trying. Please please please do yourself a favor and order the roast saddle of lamb and the beef wellington. They are incredibly thoughtful and delicious dishes, and they will inspire you.
4 – 6 bottles of wine and an assortment of desserts later, we leave fully satisfied and the birthday boy is in bliss.

So british…
Si vous souhaitez manger typiquement anglais dans un ambiance entre la brasserie et le pub… c’est Simpson qu’il vous faut ! J’y est bien mangé avec des portions généreuses et le «Roast Beef» découpé devant vous sur le chariot est superbe (quoique un peu cuit à mon goût de français…). Le service est bien (la moitié des serveurs sont français !). La carte des vins est superbe.

A l’ancienne
Avec mon amie, le matin nous allions réserver dans ce restaurant pour lequel nous avions un peu économisé. Arrivé en tenu plutot décontracté, la femme a la réservation nous fait comprendre que si nous voulons diner le soir meme il nous faudra oublier jean, polo, basket et T-​shirt… Tenu de soirée obligatoire donc… Le soirée arrivée en tenu de rigueur, nous entrons, et on nous place dans cette magnifique salle dans laquelle autrefois se disputait des parties d’échec. On nous asseoit et on nous met la serviette sur les genoux. Assez étrange pour nous francais mais assez chic dans le principe je trouve. Donc commande un peu de champagne (c’est moins cher qu’en france !) puis un plat et un dessert. Que des spécialités. Le service se fait devant nous tout comme la découpe. Grand chariot avec nourriture sous cloche. Qualité au delà du commun pour les légumes comme la viande avec une cuisson exemplaire et un gout tout simplement parfait. Les desserts étaient du même acabis avec le fameux treacle sponge et sa sauce custard ! Une très agréable soirée dans un cadre magnifique et un repas formidable.